This invention was the subject matter of Document Disclosure Program Registration No. 52637, filed in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Feb. 21, 2003.
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1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of child resistant safety receptacles in general and in particular to a modified receptacle and plug adapter that is adapted to releasably engage both the plug and the modified receptacle.
2. Description of Related Art
As can be seen by reference to the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,851,612; 5,049,086; 5,288,945; and, 6,428,333, the prior art is replete with myriad and diverse child proof electrical plug safety arrangements and to prevent a child from removing a plug from engagement with an electrical receptacle.
While all of the aforementioned prior art constructions are more than adequate for the basic purpose and function for which they have been specifically designed, they are uniformly deficient with respect to their failure to provide a simple, efficient, and practical outlet/adapter apparatus that involves only minimal modification to an existing receptacle outlet and an adapter designed to releasably engage both a conventional electrical plug and the modified adapter.
Unfortunately, virtually all of the prior art solutions involve structurally complex and expensive approaches to a problem that is encountered by all parents of young children whose innate curiosity invariably draws them to electrical outlets with potentially devastating results.
As a consequence of the foregoing situation, there has existed a longstanding need for a new and improved childproof outlet/adapter apparatus that is inexpensive to produce and which requires only minor modifications to conventional receptacle cover plates; and the provision of such a construction is a stated objective of the present invention.
Briefly stated, the outlet/adapter apparatus that forms the basis of the present invention comprises in general an outlet cover unit and plug adapter unit.
As will be explained in greater detail further on in the specification, the outlet cover unit comprises a generally flat cover plate member provided with a plurality of enlarged receptacle openings wherein, each receptacle opening is flanked by a pair of toothed apertures.
In addition, the plug adapter unit comprises a generally U-shaped adapter member including a pair of inwardly directed leg elements connected together by a base element wherein, each leg element includes a pair of spaced flexible leg segments that is adapted to be captively received in said toothed apertures.
Furthermore, the base element comprises an upper and a lower support arm both having arcuate central portions adapted to encircle an electrical cord attached to an electrical plug wherein, one of the arcuate central portions includes a hinged arcuate flap that accepts the insertion of the cord between the upper and low r support arms; wherein, the free end of the hinged flap is adapted to captively engage one of the support arms to surround the electrical cord to prevent the plug from being removed from the receptacle by a child.